Celebrating Fenway Park: Ted and Me by Dan Gutman

2012 marks the 100th birthday of Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, and children's publishing is on the ball. There have been some lovely children's books published this year, focusing on the park and the team, and I plan to read and review them all!

I'm starting with Dan Gutman's Ted and Me, which is the eleventh volume in Gutman's Baseball Card Adventure series. The premise of the series is simple: Joe "Stosh" Stoshack is an every-boy with a remarkable gift; he can travel through time by touching old baseball cards. On his adventures he has met 10 famous ball players, including Honus Wagner, Shoeless Joe Jackson, and Satchel Paige. I have been campaigning for an adventure with Ted Williams almost since the day he died. And it seems that Mr. Gutman and I are of the same mind, because here, just in time for Fenway's 100th birthday, is the book. (Spoilers ahead!)

The best thing about the Baseball Card adventures is the spirit of fun in which they are written. The science involved is pretty vague, and the ease with which Stosh incorporates himself into the lives of the players he meets is suspect (I'm guessing we will never see "Ty and Me".) But who cares--it's a little boy meeting baseball legends! That's a formula that's hard to resist. However, the initial suspension of belief required at the start of Ted and Me is whopping. The FBI are aware of Stosh's ability, and they want him to travel back in time to warn FDR about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Stopping the attack on Pearl Harbor is a time-travel chestnut--one of the greatest "what-ifs" out there in speculative fiction, so it's not a bad starting point for a story about a boy meeting not just a great ballplayer, but a true American patriot as well (which, Williams, with his distinguished military career, was.) But the fact that the FBI don't want to commandeer Stosh and take him back to headquarters to run tests on him, or anything sinister like that, but instead simply send a polite agent to his house to talk with him and his mom about it--that's difficult to swallow.

But at this point, Gutman plays a great trick on the readers which derails the issue--he sends Stosh to the wrong Ted Williams. The FBI may have done their homework about Stosh's talent, but they don't know diddly about baseball cards. They give Stosh a Ted Williams card from 1952. Consequently, Stosh finds himself in the back of Williams' bomber as he's flying a mission over what is now North Korea.  Wrong war! Pearl Harbor is long gone, Roosevelt's been dead for 8 years, and--oh yeah--Williams' plane has been hit. Just before they crash land, Stosh gets himself back to his own time. It's a great scene, full of action and swears (which Gutman wisely replaces with "!@#$%") and a full-frontal, in your face introduction to Ted Williams and his larger than life personality.

When Stosh does connects with the correct Williams, the baseball finally takes over. It is September 27, 1941. Before Stosh can complete his Pearl Harbor mission there is the little matter of baseball history: the next day Ted Williams will go 6-8 in a double header against the Philadelphia Athletics. He will finish the year with a .406 batting average, a feat which has not been equaled to this day. Stosh is particularly careful not to interfere with that, especially since part two of his "warn about Pearl Harbor" plan is to convince Williams not to join the military so that he can reclaim the five years lost to active service and potentially improve his lifetime statistics.

I've said that Gutman never moralizes in these books, but that doesn't mean that he is not trying to reveal a greater point. When Stosh encounters these baseball greats, it's always the right person at the right time. He certainly learns lessons that he can apply to his current situation. In this case, Stosh and his little league team are fresh from defeat in the Little League World Series. Despite his thrill about being involved, the reader sees a hesitancy in Stosh. He feels that he has leveled off as a player, a .270 hitter with a decent arm. He's good enough, but will probably not get any better. He is so preoccupied with not messing up on TV, he turns down an offer to carry the team's American flag during the opening ceremony, and he is unhappy to be in the position to make the final out of the game. Rather than rising to any challenges, he settles back and accepts defeat. This is clearly the perfect time to meet Ted Williams, a man who never settled for being anything but the greatest at everything he put his hand to.

Ted Williams' number 9 was retired by the Red Sox

Ted Williams is not an easy character to recreate for children. For starters, there is the matter of his language. This is not a man who spoke in "gosh's" and "darn's." He swore. Prolifically. This points to the fact that if he is going to be central to one's book, he can't be watered down. Gutman rather humorously addresses this in his "Note to Readers", and then just gets on with it. Williams was a human of striking contradictions. For as gruff and brash as he was, he was also immensely generous with his money, his time, and his compassion. Gutman gets mega-kudos for mentioning Williams' work with the Jimmy Fund. But of course, how could he possibly write a book about Williams and not mention it? It is one of the many reasons he is legendary in the city of Boston.

All in all, as a reader and a Sox fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Ted and Me. I just have one complaint--Stosh never makes it to Fenway Park! History dictates that Williams set his record in Philly, so of course that it where Stosh lands. And then they head for Washington DC, to warn the president, a mission which is--obviously--not completed. I understand that the structure of the story sends them away from Boston instead of to it, but I was looking forward to Stosh checking out my ballpark. But, as Stosh himself admits, these trips through time never turn out as he plans, and for this reader, the same holds true.

Stosh started the story knowing very little about Ted Williams. But by the end, his understanding of the man's legacy is firm. Stosh has grown up during the steroid era, as have many of his readers. He sums everything up quite well as he is sitting in Shibe Park, watching what is a meaningless game of baseball, with no play-off implications--but huge historical ramifications.

"Over the next 70 years, I knew, Babe Ruth's home run records would fall. Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak would be broken. Humans would go to the moon, invent rock and roll, and create the internet; and the world would change in so many ways.
But nobody would ever hit .400 again."

More Kiddielit love for Ted Williams

I've been obsessing about the amount of attention Ted Williams gets within the realm of children's literature. Must be all those pin-striped covers I've been forced to stock over the years. I was well pleased to read Fred Bowen's No Easy Way , and I thoroughly enjoyed The Unforgettable Season by Phil Bildner, even if Williams did have to share the book with Joe Dimaggio. Now, I can look forward to two more books recognizing the accomplishments of the Splendid Splinter, both as a ball player and as a man.

October sees the release of Soldier Athletes, the third installment in Glen Stout's highly readable "Good Sports" series (shameless plug--mine is the Booklist review beneath Baseball Heroes.) Four athletes are featured, so of course there is a profile about Ted Williams and his distinguished career as a pilot during both World War II and the Korean War.

Then there is There Goes Ted Williams: the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived by author and illustrator Matt Tavares. Tavares has already proven his Red Sox cred with Zachary's Ball, and his picture book biography Henry Aaron's Dream is not to be missed. There Goes Ted Williams looks to be really special. You can see get a peek at it here, but you'll have to wait until 2012 to get your hands on the book.

Last but not least, Dan Gutman is finally bringing Ted Williams into the Baseball Card Adventures fold with Ted and Me. And just in time for the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. Now, I can't take credit for this, of course, but I did write that open letter to Dan Gutman all those years ago...... However it came about, Gutman's latest is a welcome addition.

Books for the All-Star Break: This is the Game by Diane Shore and Jessica Alexander

There is no shortage of nostalgic baseball picture books available; just run a search for different versions of Take Me Out to the Ballgame to prove the point. This is the Game, written by Diane Shore and Jessica Alexander and illustrated by Owen Smith, is a nice addition to the genre. It reads like a cumulative tale, not so much about the history of baseball, but about the excitement which builds from moment to moment during the course of an inning, a game, a season. The book covers familiar feel-good territory: back alley games of stick ball, Cracker Jack, trading cards, listening breathlessly around a radio. It works, because the rhyming text reads effortlessly, with no clumsy rhymes to get in the way of the love of the game, or the enjoyment of the reading. A handful of historic moments get a mention, but predominately the book is about the small moments in a fan's enjoyment that bring such joy. I also liked that the book ended with the words, "Play Ball!"because to me, as a fan, those words are full of fun and promise. Which is what This is the Game is ultimately building towards. A perfect read while we wait for the All-Star break to pass and the rest of the season to commence.

You can have a look inside the book here:

On My Reading Radar: The Unforgettable Season

Just in time for Spring Training! Last year, the release of the excellent No Easy Way by Fred Bowen finally introduced Ted Williams as a subject for picture book biographies, a move which was long overdue in my opinion. This spring he is making an appearance again in The Unforgettable Season, written by Phil Bildner with illustrations by S.D. Schindler. The book is about the summer of 1941, when Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox and Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees were pursuing two of the most enduring records in baseball history. Author Phil Bildner has written a number of outstanding baseball picture books (Shoeless Joe and Black Betsy is probably my favorite) so this book has the potential to be something really special (blatant plug to Penguin USA--I'd love a review copy!)

This book gives me another opportunity to post my open letter to Dan Gutman. I'm still hoping for that Stosh and Teddy meeting!

Note: since I posted this I have been informed that there will in fact be a "Ted and Me" entry in the Baseball Card Adventures series. Huzzah! And about time.

Fenway Park--Still America's Favorite Ballpark!

Perhaps it's petty of me, but I cannot deny that I took great pleasure in discovering that the first title in the new "Ballpark Mysteries" easy chapter series is The Fenway Foul-up. The book based at Yankee Stadium--book number 2. Looks like the American League East is already shaping up with the Red Sox on top, at least in terms of chapter books. The book pubs in February 2011--just in time for spring training.

Rave Review: Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies

They've been to the beach. They've patronized the library. And now, Brian Lies' adorable bats are going to watch--what else?--a baseball game. The third installment in this highly appealing series is full of charm, visual humor and--if you are a Red Sox fan--a couple of in-jokes for your reading pleasure.
One of the reasons the bat books are so much fun is the opportunity they provide for sight gags. After a couple of double page spreads of bats flying towards the ball park, Lies treats his readers to the sight of bats hanging from the rafters to take in the game, catching mothdogs and Cricket Jack from a flying vendor. Groundsbats prep the mound with a fork. A dismayed fan hides behind his wings. There is so much to see in each illustration--right side up as well as upside down. And in this particular title there is also the scope for word play to add to the humor. Start with the title: Bats at the Ballgame. Everyone knows that you can't play baseball without a bat! It was inevitable that the line "bats at bat" would be used at some time during the story, yet it's still funny when it finally comes round. And the opportunity to accuse the bat ump of being blind.......well, I suppose Lies just couldn't help himself there!

Red Sox fans will notice that the good guys are wearing red caps (and socks!) An old-timer talks reverently of a player, number 24, making an outstanding catch in the field (I wonder if Dwight Evans is a particular hero to Lies.) There is a green, manual--make that, "batual"--scoreboard, not unlike the one on the Green Monster at Fenway. And the mention of a "pesky pole" is just blatant! But even if the reader isn't a member of Red Sox Nation--simply a fan of the game--there is plenty to enjoy in this clever, affectionate, and engaging love letter to baseball and the fans who follow the bats of summer.

Bats at the Ballgame is due for release in September, 2010. Just in time for the postseason.

Are you ready for baseball yet?

Now that the Olympics are over, it's time to turn my sporting sights to the 2010 Red Sox season. Spring Training is under way, and at the time of this writing, Opening Day is a mere 34 days away. But, if like me, you think 34 days is still a long time to wait for baseball, here are some new titles to hold you over till that first utterance of "Play Ball!"

The Batboy is Mike Lupica's latest offering for his rabid fan base of young readers. It tells the story of Brian Dudley, who gets a summer job at Comerica Park as the batboy for the Detroit Tigers. Even though he is technically too young for the job, he impresses the Tiger's manager with his persuasive letter of application. Being the son of a former big league pitcher doesn't hurt, either. However, Brian's father is working as a scout in Japan, having been unable to leave baseball behind. He left his family instead. Brian spends much of the book trying to come to terms with his dad's inability to be a father. He is also preoccupied with Hank Bishop, his all-time favorite player, who has rejoined the Tigers after having weathered a steroid scandal and wants nothing to do with the anything or anybody. He only cares about hitting his 500th home run and exorcising his own demons.

What Lupica does best is evoke the rapture that baseball fans experience when they are watching a game. In this book, beside the personal drama, there are marathon slug-fests, tense walk-off thrillers, disappointing close losses, and plenty of references to ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Hall of Fame greats. And because it is all seen through the eyes of a fourteen year old boy, there is that ageless wonder at the sight of a green diamond and the chance to witness sporting history.

Baseball history--baseball legend--is the subject of two new picture books highlighting heroes from the days long before steroids or ESPN. All Star! Honus Wagner and the Most Famous Baseball Card Ever is by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Jim Burke. The most famous baseball card ever does not get as much coverage as the life of Honus Wagner, although I should point out that I reviewed the book from its galley, in which an empty page entitled "Author's Note" leads me to believe that the final version will include further information about the Honus Wagner baseball card. Readers of the Dan Gutman Baseball Card Adventures series will already be familiar with Honus Wagner, but for some this book about a bowl-legged coal man who set countless baseball records, will be a revelation. You can see a trailer for the book here.

No Easy Way, by Fred Bowen, with illustrations by Charles S. Pyle, has been on my reading radar for some time now. The subtitle of this one is "The Story of Ted Williams and the last .400 season," and in this case the record really is the focus of the book. In particular, Bowen (a proud member of Red Sox Nation) makes a point of explaining to his readers that Ted Williams' .400 season came at the risk of losing it on the last day; when given the option to sit out a season-ending double header with his average at . 39955, which would have been rounded up to .400, Williams said, "If I can't hit .400 all the way, I don't deserve it." He played both games, and the rest, as they say, is history.

As an aside, I for one am hoping for a follow-up book in which Bowen explores Williams' piloting career in World War II. It gets a mention, as does the fact that plenty of other big league players interrupted their careers to fight for their country. The fact that Williams' career is so distinguished emphasizes the theme of this book--there's no easy way to do something right and well. I think the discussion of star athletes who risked their lives to fight in a war would be just as much of a revelation for young readers as the discussion of their baseball records are.

So, until we can play ball, we can read ball!

On My Reading Radar--No Easy Way: The Story of Ted Williams and the Last .400 Season

Just in time for Red Sox fans after a long, cold offseason! This picture book about one of the few records left standing after the steroid era is due for publication on February 4, 2010. Woo hoo! Can't wait to get my hands on it.

It is my opinion that Ted Williams has not received the sort of kiddie lit attention that other baseball greats have been awarded. Think of all the books about Babe Ruth, or Roberto Clemente, or Jackie Robinson--all worthy subjects for sure. But Ted Williams was not just a great baseball player, but a patriot as well, having interrupted his professional career not once, but twice to serve in the Armed Forces. I haven't seen too many modern athletes, other than Pat Tillman, who have forfeited their lucrative careers in favor of serving their country. I have already written an open letter to Dan Gutman, in the hopes of roping him into writing about the Splendid Splinter. Thank you to Fred Bowen for getting the Ted Williams ball rolling!

Rave Reviews: Lou Gehrig the Luckiest Man

I was once asked to consider which I would prefer: the candidate of my choice as President the United States, or the Red Sox to win the World Series. Without a moment's hesitancy I answered, "the Red Sox to win the World Series". I'm just putting that out there to let you know the mindset of the person writing this post.

Through the wonders of online social networking I have made friends with people who share my interests, as well as those that simply do not--but I like them anyway. And that includes Yankee fans. I avoid them in real life when I can, but through the relative anonymity of sites like Twitter, Facebook, and blip.fm, that piece of damaging information sort of snuck through after we had already become friendly.

So where am I going here? A few months back I wrote about Tintin in the Congo and censorship. As a librarian I have the power to put whichever books I deem fit on the shelves. And while some might self-censor books dealing with hot-button issues like race, same-sex marriage, or religion, the one area in which I am always the most tempted to judge a book as "not worthy" is on the topic of baseball. The little librarian devil that sits on my shoulder can point out a million reasons why I shouldn't put a Yankee book on the shelf, which then makes the little librarian angel on the other shoulder have to work extra hard to ensure that my professional duties are maintained and carried through. So, because I have stumbled into some Yankee friendships, and because I am simply not magnanimous enough to say "Congratulations," this is the best that I can offer them:

If I am ever in the challenging position of having to recommend a book to a Yankee fan, I always hand them David Adler's picture book biography, Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. Some kids might know that he has a disease named after him (Lou Gehrig's Disease, officially known as amytrophic lateral sclerosis.) Most baseball fans are familiar with his record of playing in 2130 consecutive games--a record which spanned fourteen years and stood unchallenged until Cal Ripken, jr broke it in 1995. Some might have even heard soundbites of the speech he delivered at Yankee Stadium in 1939, in which he uttered the now iconic phrase "today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." But what this book does so well is show young readers how Gehrig's tenacity, consistency, and positive attitude came from a lifetime of trying to be the best human being he could. He never missed a day of grade school. He worked hard because he had watched his parents, poor immigrants to the United States, work hard themselves. When he could no longer play effectively, he benched himself and was happy enough simply to put on his ball uniform and bring the lineup cards to the umpires. When he left baseball he took on a job working with former prisoners with the New York City Parole Commission, in the hopes of inspiring and reforming troubled youth. Gehrig's No. 4 was the first uniform ever retired by a team.

Terry Widener's illustrations are warm and old-fashioned, representing a now distant past with a certain amount of nostalgic glow. It is a fitting style for a man who, in truth, seems like a saint, even without holding him up to the likes of many modern professional athletes who often come across as barely contained hooligans making as much money as they can. Adler's text is easy to read and keeps the story focused on Gehrig's modesty and character, his love of the game and his love of life. This is a book which not only serves as a fine introduction to one of the great figures of the game, but it is also a book which shows young readers how to be a hero through honesty, hard work, and gratitude. It is a book which should be read by Red Sox and Yankee fans alike.

An Open Letter to Dan Gutman

Dear Mr. Gutman,

As I sit here, with the sun setting on the 2009 baseball season, hanging around and waiting for the Red Sox to clinch a postseason berth (magic number currently stands at 6,) my mind is wandering (it's not a very interesting game.) I have been following the adventures of Joe Stoshack since Honus, straight through to Ray, with various degrees of interest. I keep coming back to the series because: 1) I love baseball and 2) I love time travel stories. So what I want to know is this--when will we be able to read Ted and Me?

Seriously, I think Stosh needs to have an adventure with The Splended Splinter, The Kid, The Greatest Hitter Ever (er....evah!) He needs to meet the player who holds one of the few untouchable records left standing in this post-steroid error. He needs to meet a man who was willing to interrupt his Hall of Fame career not once, but twice, in order to serve his country. More importantly Stosh needs to meet a Red Sox player! He needs to visit that lyric little bandbox known as Fenway Park and stand in the shadow of the Green Monster. He simply hasn't lived as a baseball fan otherwise.

One of the things I admire about your series is how you always attempt to represent the ballplayers honestly, warts and all. I challenge you to find a subject as marvelously flawed and complex as Ted Williams. (You could probably sneak in a fly-fishing scene too, if you were so inclined.) If you are looking for larger than life, they don't get much larger than Teddy Ballgame.

Fenway Park will be celebrating it's 100th birthday in 2012. If you start writing now, you could have Ted and Me ready in time!

I'm looking forward to Roberto.

Cheers,
Kara

Jim Rice gets ready for the Hall--Gold Dust by Chris Lynch

In anticipation of Jim Rice's induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame tomorrow (that's me and him on the right, circa 2004!) I've pulled Gold Dust, by Chris Lynch, out of my "to read" pile. The term 'Gold Dust' is a reference to Jim Rice and Fred Lynn, who were called up as rookies to the Red Sox in 1975 and were referred to as the "Gold Dust Twins" due to their remarkable, untouchable talent. I'm about half-way through, and so far Fred Lynn features much more, because Richard, the protagonist, aspires to be Fred Lynn. But my man Jim has received plenty of due deference, including this passage:

"It was true that Jim Rice had an ungodly beautiful stroke. It was as if he didn't even use his arms--great big arms, I might add--but just flicked his wrists. And still, his ball went a mile."

Since the book takes place during 1975, there is a fair amount of Boston history included in the story, most particularly the busing of children across the city in an attempt to desegregate the schools. Beside providing authentic local details, Lynch has also written with a real love for the craft of baseball, and fans of the game will find much to appreciate and enjoy. But history and baseball aside, at the center of the story is the budding friendship between Richard Riley Moncreif, a native of Boston, and Napoleon Charlie Ellis, fresh from Domencia with his father, who has accepted a teaching position at Northeasthern University. They are both strong willed boys, and at the half-way point I cannot predict which direction the story will ultimately take. However, I am guessing that this will be a story that benefits from having Boston as its backdrop (and not just because I am a biased Bostonian!) The history of race and the Boston Red Sox, for instance is well-documented for its early failings, as is the Boston busing controversy. Although cultural differences play a role in the story--Napoleon, for instance, is not prepared to chuck aside cricket for baseball, despite Richard's insistence of baseball's superiority--race is still the bubbling concern just beneath the surface. But most importantly, for a story that feature's a boy's desire to be the absolute best hitter ever, there is no better place for him to be in 1975 than Boston. I think it can be fairly said that never has there been, in the history of baseball, a pair of rookies on a single team who electrified a single season as Rice and Lynn did. With the passing of time is has been debated that career decision's on Lynn's part hampered his progress and ultimately kept him from fulfilling his potential. But Rice, who spent the entirety of his career in Boston, who was such a feared hitter that opposing managers were willing to walk him in a bases loaded situation rather than let him hit, who will have his number 14 retired at Fenway on Tuesday night--Jim Rice will be tracking that gold dust into Cooperstown tomorrow.

Great Galleys--Picture Books you won't want to miss--You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!

Baseball season is still months away (71 days till pitchers and catchers, but who's counting?) And before it returns, look out for this gorgeous picture book biography of the enigmatic lefty Sandy Koufax. Now, you can't tell from the image here, but the front cover is one of those animated pictures that, when you move it about, looks like it's live action. Anyone opening the book is going to get a Koufax fast ball up-close. Not quite chin music, but a cool effect to start the reading experience.

I've read this galley a number of times now, and I still can't decide what I like best, the old-timer tone of the narrator (an unamed veteran teammate of Koufax's) or the caricature style of the illustrations (think Al Hirschfeld.) When the narrator talks about the scouts sniffing around the promising young pitcher, the flow of the lines makes them look like they actually are sniffing. Fabulous! There's so much style to this book, despite the muted pallet (greys, golds, and Dodger Blue) and often unreadable expression of the hero. Of course, Koufax himself was unreadable, both as a man and as a pitcher. Although the title suggests incredulity that anyone might not know who Sandy Koufx is, he was such an intense and brief flash of brilliance, he's almost easy to miss, if one did not live during his time of dominance. I actually thought he was dead, but was put right by a brief author's note at the start of the book (and I call myself a baseball fan!) This should find a large audience, with fans of the game, non-fiction readers, and anyone drawn to the eye-catching cover. Look for it in February.

It's Opening Day!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm waiting for the first pitch at 6.07--in the morning. But still....the 2008 season is here. The pre-game ceremony is over. The flowers have been exchanged (do they do that before every game?) There seems to be some difficulty getting the microphones synchronised, but so long as no one yells "Remember Pearl Harbor", that shouldn't be a problem. And Pedroia gets a hit! A lead--off single to start the season. World Series repeat here we come!

My father, who was born in 1943 and was a World War II historian, never quite forgave Japan for its contribution to the Axis cause. So something tells me he would have had mixed feelings about the now distinctly Japanese profile that the Red Sox have (as well as MLB, for that matter.) But as I watched a military band perform "The Stars and Stripes Forever" in the Tokyo Dome (he definitely would have liked that!) I can't help but try to look past the recent observation of the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Is it too unrealistic to hope that perhaps, 50 or 60 years from now, baseball could be played there between American teams, in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, with a star Iraqi pitcher? Is that any more unbelievable than this morning's game would be for someone like my father? I certainly hope not, and if I have any hope in the future of mankind, I have to believe it is possible.

I've been published!

Well, no I haven't. But my review has been blurbed on the back cover of the paperback edition of Sue Corbett's Free Baseball And although I will not receive any royalties, I will still insert a shameless plug, because I have become friends with Sue--buy the book! And buy it through this website! (there, now I feel profitable.) You can read my original review here.

What I Am Reading Today--Edwards Eyes

I actually got about half-way through this slim little volume and then abandoned it for the World Series (which the Red Sox won, BTW, have you heard?!) So I have started all over from the beginning, but to be honest, my impression has not changed the second time through. An air of gentle doom (if you can imagine that) hangs over the story, which is told in an episodic manner. Rather than a narrative, it reads like a string of scenes. I'm finding it frustrating, because I don't feel as if I am getting to know the characters; I'm just being told what the author, the Newbery Award winning Patricia MacLachlan, wants me to know. That's too bad, because I consider character development to be one of her strengths as a writer. And other than Edward's desire to learn how to through a knuckle ball, I don't get a feel for the developing story (which doesn't seem to be developing at all.) This book has been lauded and praised in all the review journals, so what do I know? Well, I know that so far I am not particularly enthused about Edwards Eyes, despite the many baseball and Sox references.

Book of the Week--Zachary's Ball

In honor of the fact that the Red Sox are in the World Series for the second time in four years, this week's book of the week is Zachary's Ball, by Matt Tavares. Everyone wants a souvenir when they visit the ballpark, and in this picture book a young Zachary is transported to the game of his dreams when his dad hands him a snared foul ball. Perhaps it is the ball itself, or maybe it is the act of passing the ball from one generation to the next--in any case, it is a magic that must be shared. And it all takes place within the shadow of Fenway's Green Monster--reason enough to read any book!

Bedtime Stories--Haven't I Read This Already?

Gingerbread baby (Brett, Jan)
My friend is sad (Willems, Mo)
Casey back at bat (Gutman, Dan)

My daughter has now read My friend is sad more than once. Now that she is familiar with the words and the story, she has started to pay attention to the punctuation and the way Willems uses font and the illustrations to express the characters' feelings. It was quite a spirited rendition this evening. It's fun to watch her develop as a reader.

As for Casey back at bat....I loved it, then I was disappointed. I love the newsprint illustrations, the effortless verse, and the fact that it could classify as a fractured fairytale (of sorts.) But once the ball left Casey's bat and then headed across time, space and history, I realized that I have read this book already, and it is called Hurray for Snail! Except that Snail succeeds where Casey flies out. And to be honest, the part about knocking off the Sphinx's nose and causing the dinosaurs to become extinct was just plain silly in a distracting, disjointed way. I would have preferred it if Joe Stoshack had managed to travel into literature to visit Casey. That would have been more convincing--and relevant--than the ball's excellent adventure.

Bedtime Stories

The Cat who wanted to go home (Tomlinson, Jill)
The Owl and the Pussycat (Lear, Edward; Anne Mortimer, illus.)
Hooray for Snail! (Stadler, John)

In trying to discover whether or not Hooray for Snail is still in print (thankfully, the answer is yes!) I discovered a little bit of back story by author John Stadler. I also discovered that there are some other Snail stories, which I did not know (although a guru, I can still learn!)

Anne Mortimer's version of The Owl and the Pussycat is a bedtime favorite in our house and has enjoyed repeat readings. I have been a fan of her artwork for many, many years, ever since I first came across Tosca in the supermarket check-out line (there are treasures to be found even in the $3.99 rack.) As far as I am concerned, there is no one who draws cats like she does (although Lesley Anne Ivory is another favorite.) My daughter simply likes the fact that there is a wedding in the story.

Around the Horn--my favorite baseball books

It's West Coast baseball for the Sox this weekend, which means late nights for me. As I watch the boys hold on to a 4-2 lead against Seattle (bottom of the 7th--I hope I'm not jinxing them!) this is the perfect opportunity to draw up a list of my favorite books about my favorite sport. They are in no particular order. And to keep with the theme--I'll only list nine.

1) The Boy who saved baseball (Ritter, John)
I said these aren't in any particular order, but this is always the first basbeall book I recommend to patrons. It's magical and believable all in one charming package.
2) Zachary's ball (Tavares, Matt)
This picture book of one boy's dream of leading the Red Sox to a World Series win seemed like fan boy wish fulfillment until 2004. But as a testimony to the magic of the game, it's timeless.
3) Shoeless Joe and me (Gutman, Dan)
This is the fourth installment of the Baseball Card Adventures involving the time-travelling Joe Stoshak. Gutman wears his heart on his sleeve in this one with a compelling and compassionate portrayal of Shoeless Joe Jackson and his alleged role in the 1919 Black Sox World Series betting scandal. (Note to Gutman: I'm still hoping for "Ted and Me". Any hopes of Stosh meeting the Splendid Splinter?)
4) Teammates (Golenbock, Peter)
The courage of Jackie Robinson, the first African-American player in the Major Leagues, is well documented. This picture book focuses a single moment of courage by one of his white teammates, Pee Wee Reese, who put his arm around Robinson in solidarity against the racial taunts and abuse during a Dodgers away game.
5) Free baseball (Corbett, Sue)
This book is unique in that the action is based around a minor-league team, far removed from the glamor of the limelight of the major league clubs. The author's love and knowledge for the game is evident from the books dedication (I'll forgive her loving words for Mookie Wilson, a person infamous in Red Sox history, because I enjoyed the book so much!)
6) Thank you Jackie Robinson (Cohen, Barbara)
Jackie Robinson's influence and example transcended baseball, as is shown in this fine chapter book about the friendship between an elderly African American man and his young Jewish neighbor.
7) Moon ball (Yolen, Jane)
A struggling Little Leaguer dreams of home run glory in this atmospheric picture book by a master fantasist.
8) Yang the Youngest and his terrible ear (Namioka, Lensey)
Yang's father wants him to be a master violinist, like the rest of the family. Yang just wants to play baseball and fit in at his new school. Yang's friend Matthew would love to play the violin, but that doesn't sit well with his blue-collar dad, who prefers bats to bows. Can the two boys devise a plan to show both their dads that their talents are best applied where they see fit? Check out the rest of the Yang family in the series' previous three volumes.
9) Bats about baseball (Little, Jean and Claire Mackay)
I hope you like puns!